


A Spark of Kindness

by SunshineKid



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Between Episodes, Between Seasons/Series, Gen, Medical, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Multi, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Post-Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal, Star Wars Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 22:11:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9789296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineKid/pseuds/SunshineKid
Summary: After the events of The Honourable Ones, Agent Kallus's injuries place him under the care of Kyrie Vell, an Imperial Doctor. Already questioning the motives of the Empire, Kallus is shaken when he is treated with compassion and gentleness. Kyrie treasures all life, even the medical droids she is put in charge of. While her sensitivity benefits her patients, it is considered a flaw by the Empire. Ultimately, her humanity motivates Kallus to become the rebel informant Fulcrum.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Star Wars Rebels Season 2 and 3!

Kyrie’s feet moved swiftly. She hurried down the corridor, past a mouse droid she gave a quick ‘hello’ to. Arriving at a massive grey door, she took in a few deep breaths to steady her racing heart and tugged her cap downwards. She gave the door two sharp raps, and waited. 

“Come in,” came the curt response. 

Kyrie squared her shoulders and opened the door. Before her sat a man, light yellow mustache twitching in annoyance, brow knotted in impatience. 

She stepped into his office and straightened. “Lieutenant Nassi.” 

“I was expecting you ten minutes ago, Doctor.” The Lieutenant’s eyes narrowed. “I believe you have a valid reason.” 

“Apologies, Lieutenant. One of our patients had an emergency. He didn't-” 

Lieutenant Nassi rose suddenly, pushing his chair away. He pressed his palms on his table, glaring at Kyrie. “Do not bore me with your mundane reasons, Doctor,” he growled. 

“Make it,” Kyrie finished, feeling her skin beginning to prickle. 

Lieutenant Nassi rolled his eyes. “Irrelevant. I called you here because you'll be looking after a very important guest. Agent Kallus has returned, and is in decisively poor shape. He requires medical attention.” 

Kyrie lifted her head slightly, inquiring, “Didn't we abandon search for him a few days ago?” 

“A merchant found him and returned him. A pity. We wouldn’t have needed to waste all those resources finding him if some merchant was going to give him to us for a few meagre credits.” Lieutenant Nassi handed her a datapad. “Do let your best staff take care of him, Doctor.” 

Kyrie scanned through the datapad, skimming through Kallus’s file. “I have only five medical droids. We're extremely understaffed, but they're my best.” 

“What you do doesn't concern me, just impress him. He holds a high-ranking position here, what he thinks can very well determine our future.” Kyrie detected a tinge of excitement in his voice. 

You mean, he could give you a promotion. Kyrie bit down on her tongue, straightening once again. “Yes, Lieutenant,” she responded, turning round to leave. 

… 

As Kyrie entered the medical bay, the familiar smell of disinfectant and sedative enveloped her. She pulled off her cap and opened her eyes to a familiar scene: rows and rows of beds, some occupied, some not. Only now, one more bed was empty. 

Spotting one of her droids, she calls him over. “Nimble, I need you to do something for me.” 

The droid ambled over, his head tilting to one side in curiosity. “What did Nassi say?” 

Kyrie handed him the datapad she was holding. “We have a new patient, and Nassi wants to impress him at all costs.” 

“And you do not?” Nimble gazed at the screen. “He is in charge of this ship, isn’t he?” 

Kyrie folded her arms, shrugging. “It doesn’t matter who he is, Nim. He just needs our help. Go to his quarters and pick him up. And bring a hoverchair, just in case.” 

Another droid came wandering up, peering over Nimble’s shoulder. His eyes capturing the information on the datapad, Flint announced, “We ditched him two days ago.” 

Kyrie nodded, tossing her cap on a nearby table and shooing Nimble away. “Yes, but he’s back now. Flint, go get Jay. Set up a makeshift private room in one of our supply rooms.” 

“What about the supplies?” 

She released an exasperated sigh. “Just put them with the rest, there isn’t much of them anyway. Make sure the room is fully stocked.” 

Flint stared at her, displeasure edging his voice. “You are obeying Nassi by conforming to his standards.” 

“I’m not doing this for Nassi or Kallus,” Kyrie clarified. Her voice softened. “I’m doing it for us. Don’t you remember Smokey?” 

Flint’s fingers curled, his fists clenching slowly as his gaze broke away from Kyrie’s. She continued, gently, “The last time we failed, they took her away from us. I’d do anything Nassi wants just to keep all of you here.” 

Flint gave a slow nod. “I will tell Jay.” 

“Thank you, Flint.” Kyrie felt her lips curl upwards in a soft smile. 

He paused, eyeing her with concern. “Kyrie, I would like to check on your stress levels someday.” 

“I’m fine, Flint.” She forced her smile to widen. “Now get Jay. I’ll need that room soon.” 

Flint strode off, and Kyrie, retrieving her cap, hurried off to a supply room, the one she had been cataloguing till she was called away for the emergency. Gazing up at the shelves, Kyrie could feel a sigh building up in her chest. She found her datapad where she had left it, and began counting. Kyrie knew that she was doing a job for a logistics droid, but none were ever sent to the medical bay. She needed the supplies in order if she could save lives; it had to be done. 

“Not enough bacta…” Kyrie muttered to herself. If she wasn’t kidding herself, she’d know that there wasn’t enough of everything here, even staff. It was a small blessing, since it was that very reason that allowed her to work. But she couldn’t think of that now, there was someone calling her name. 

“Kyrie?” She looked up, to find Dreamer waiting at the door. “I need your acknowledgement to send the body away.” 

“Of course,” Kyrie replied, setting her datapad down. Receiving a new one from Dreamer, she scribbled her name on the screen and returned it to her. Noticing a gurney behind her, Kyrie pointed, trembling slightly. “Is that…?” 

Dreamer followed her gaze, nodding. “I would have sent him down earlier, but you had to talk to Nassi and I needed to make my rounds.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Kyrie assured. “The dead will always stay dead.” Hesitantly, she approached the gurney and lifted up the sheet with quaking hands. Her eyes fell upon the trooper’s young face, barely marked by the brutality of war or lined with age. She could imagine his eagerness and enthusiasm from cadet to trooper, cut short by a single shot. A pang of sorrow struck her heart and she felt her entire being shake. Tears bristled at the edges of her eyes. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” she whispered. “I tried my best.” 

She could detect Dreamer standing behind her, her smooth, mechanical voice terse with worry. “You cannot save everyone, Kyrie.” 

Kyrie lifted her head and brushed away her tears. “No, I know. I can only hope that I never have to do this, but it just keeps happening.” 

Dreamer’s voice was sympathetic. “And I thought I was the wishful thinker.” 

Kyrie gave a low snort of amusement. “Send him down to the deep freeze,” she instructed. “Once you finish, come up quickly to help Flint and Jay. They’ll need more hands.” 

Dreamer nodded, pushing the gurney out of sight. Kyrie spun round, confronted by the looming shelves before her. She stifled a groan and picked up her datapad, fingers stiffening in determination. She must be ready. She must be strong. 

There was work to be done.


	2. Chapter 2

After Kyrie had finished categorizing the supply room, she left the room with a deep sigh and found Nimble approaching her. 

“Where were you?” he questioned, worriedness tracing his voice. “I have been looking for you.” 

Kyrie gestured towards the supply room she had just exited from. “Categorizing the last of our supplies,” she replied. “I had to finish it by today, or we might not order enough for tomorrow’s supply check. Have you fetched Agent Kallus?” 

Nimble’s head bobbed up and down. “I have placed him in the examination room for you,” he informed her. “He has a broken leg and it needs to be set.” 

Kyrie peered nervously over his shoulder, to the rows of recovering patients behind him. No matter how broken and bruised they were, they were listening ears. 

“Thank you, NM-008,” she replied loudly, “I’ll take over from here.” She cast an apologetic glance at him. “Sorry,” she whispered as she hurried past him. 

She strode up to the examination room door and knocked. Pausing for a moment, she pushed open the door. Her eyes fell upon a man sitting up on the table, his hands pressed together and his eyes cast downwards, deep in thought. 

“Good morning,” Kyrie called, closing the door behind her. “I’m Doctor Vell. I’m very sorry for the wait, we’re a little stretched this morning. Agent Kallus, I presume?” 

The agent gave a slow nod. Kyrie felt a smile forming on her face. “It’s good to finally meet the man in charge of this ship, Agent. I’m here to perform your diagnostic procedure. Can you tell me where it hurts most?” 

Kallus looked up, his eyes surprisingly sharp. “My right leg,” he replied. “It’s broken.” 

Kyrie gave a low hum, and moved over to inspect her patient’s injury. Her gentle hands examined his leg and, sure enough, there was a break in the bone. 

“You’re not wrong there,” she confirmed. “It’s definitely broken. The fracture itself isn’t too bad…” Kyrie frowned, noticing some severe swelling around the injury. “But it’s been aggravated, and put out of place.” Kyrie lifted her head and eyed him. “Have you been putting weight on your right leg, Agent?” 

Kallus’s features drew into an obstinate scowl. “I had to walk, or I wouldn’t have lived.” 

“I see,” Kyrie replied lightly. “I’ll have to set it back in place. You should be more careful, Agent, a high-ranking officer like you should know better.” A slight frown set on her brow, and she returned Kallus’s unflinching stare. “How did you sustain this injury?” 

“On a mission, I was pursuing a fleeing rebel. We crash-landed on an ice moon orbiting Geonosis in an escape pod.”

“So you had to fight to survive,” Kyrie deduced, fetching her datapad. “And what about the rebel? What happened to him?” 

“He’s dead.” 

The hastiness in Kallus’s answer gave way to nervousness. She had been keying in the details of his injury, but her typing slowed. Forcing herself not to look up, Kyrie pursed her lips and carried on. 

“On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the pain?” 

There was a pause. Then, “Eight”. 

Kyrie’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief, and a chuckle formed in her throat. “Your threshold for pain is shocking, Agent,” she declared. “Any other person would call it a twelve, maybe a thirteen.”

“One must become accustomed to injury, especially in the battlefield,” Kallus replied, something flickering in the depths of his irises before it disappeared. Kyrie wondered how many times this man had been wounded to feel this way, to learn to expect pain. She felt her brow soften in sympathy. 

“I disagree, Agent. No one should need to become used to pain.” 

Kallus snorted. Loftily, he went on, “Doctor, I doubt you’ve ever been in a fight. If you constantly experience combat, then you’d realise that is an extremely idealistic sentiment.” 

Kyrie looked up, her jaw slightly clenched. “I wouldn’t need to be in a fight to realise that. You may not see it, but through those doors, I treat soldiers with blaster burns, knife wounds, paralysed limbs and broken bones like yours. And beyond that, I see the trauma inflicted upon them. Believe me, Agent,” Kyrie paused to give a wry smile. “I can imagine.” 

She straightened, grabbing two gloves from her work table and pulling them on. “Nevertheless, here in the medical bay, we only ask for honesty and cooperation, so we can do our best to treat you. Do you understand?”

Kallus, still stunned, could barely find the words to reply. “Understood, Doctor.” 

“Good.” Kyrie allowed a gentle smile to grace her lips, and went on, “Before I set your leg, are there any other areas of pain?” 

Kallus shook his head in reply. Kyrie eyed him skeptically. 

“Honestly,” he asserted. Kyrie found herself nodding, albeit it a little reluctantly. 

“In any case, you’ll have to stay in the medical bay to recover.” 

“How long?” 

“Your bone will take around two months to heal, including rehabilitation. Oh, don’t look so upset, Agent,” Kyrie found mirth in her voice. “The beds are much more comfortable than the examination table, and you’re in good hands. In the meantime, is there anything I can fetch from your quarters?” Kyrie opened a list on her datapad, her fingers hovering above the screen expectantly. 

“No, there isn’t anything I’ll need there.” 

Kallus’s reply surprised Kyrie. “Nothing? Not even your helmet?” 

“Why would I need it here?” he countered. 

“There’s no fighting here, no,” Kyrie agreed. “But I want to help you recover completely. If even the littlest thing could help, I’ll gladly help you with it.” 

Astonishment flickered in Kallus’s eyes. “I… I suppose…” he trailed off and fell silent. 

“Even the littlest thing,” Kyrie echoed. She offered him a sincere smile, which seemed to thaw him ever so slightly. 

A look of reluctance crossed his face. “A meteorite,” he conceded. “It should be found on my shelf.” 

“A meteorite?” 

“It was a gift,” he defended himself. 

“I didn’t pin you as the sentimental type, that’s all,” Kyrie said mildly. “But I can certainly get that for you. Nothing else, I assume?” 

“None.” 

“Alright then. For now, I’ll have to sedate you to reset your leg. After that, you’ll be transferred to a private room for your recovery. Any questions?” Kyrie intonated effortlessly, preparing a syringe filled with a sedative drug. 

“No.” His voice was quiet, contemplative. “Thank you for all of this.” 

Kyrie whipped round, eyes widening. She could feel her jaw falling open, her hands frozen round the syringe. Her forehead wrinkled in surprise, struggling to find her voice. A small huff of disbelief left her. “You’re not like the other Imperials, Agent.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Kyrie tapped the syringe in her hand thoughtfully. “Many men walk through those doors and pass through our care. Most get to leave, a few don’t get that privilege, but none of them did what you just did.” 

“Say ‘thank you’?” Kyrie traced doubt in Kallus’s voice. 

“You’d be surprised.” She mumbled around a grin. “I was beginning to lose faith. It’s good to know someone on this ship has a heart.” 

Kallus’s eyes widened slightly, then he dropped his gaze to his clenched hands. Kyrie noticed him chewing his lip, and decided not to press further. 

“I’m going to sedate you now,” she warned him. “I’ll need you to lie down for this.” 

Kallus obeyed, and Kyrie positioned the needle in her hand near his neck. “The injection will be through your neck. It’ll bite, but considering your tolerance for pain, it shouldn’t be a problem.” 

Kyrie proceeded, unfurling his collar before inserting the needle. Kallus’s jaw tightened as he suppressed a wince of pain. Once Kyrie drained the syringe, she gently tugged the needle out. 

“Count backwards from ten,” she commanded, as she discarded the syringe. 

Kallus complied, but he never reached six. Kyrie surveyed his unconscious form and gave a low mutter, “Good.” 

She pressed the area of his leg where she’d felt swelling before, then felt around for the crack. Now, she could freely inspect the injury, without the patient in pain. Gauging his fracture, Kyrie swiftly snipped off a part of his pant leg to make room for the cast. 

Then she cracked her knuckles and forced herself to stand upright. No matter how many times she had executed it before, she still wasn’t used to it. 

She closed her hands around the injury, and with one swift motion, jerked the bone back in position with a sickening crack. Kallus gave a soft gasp, and Kyrie cringed. At least the wound would heal properly now, she assured herself. 

The rest was easy. Her agile hands moving efficiently, she coated Kallus’s leg with plaster. It wasn’t long before there was a clean, hard bandage protecting the injury. 

Kyrie plucked off her gloves and heaved a small sigh. The worst was over, at least for a broken bone. Tossing her gloves into the trash compactor, her eyes scrutinized the rest of her patient, making sure there were no other injuries she had to tend to. 

She leaned on the door, and spotting one of her colleagues, she called him over softly. “Red, I need your help here.” 

Red nodded silently, and the two of them lifted Kallus onto a gurney. “Help me bring him to his room, will you? I need to run an errand,” Kyrie asked, keeping her voice gentle. 

Her friend nodded once more, metal fingers curling around the edge of the gurney. Kyrie pushed the door open for Red as he wheeled Kallus out of the examination room, out of sight. 

With a weary sigh, Kyrie removed the stethoscope that hung around her neck. Rubbing her face, she reached over and grabbed a small, spare box that had once contained vaccines. The box rested in her hands, but Kyrie was still deep in thought. 

As far as she knew, Red’s voice modulator wasn’t damaged, but… 

She chewed her lip and shook her head. She pushed her way out of the medical bay, and started down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! School's been crazy :P I'll try my best to post consistently, but no promises. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> \- SunshineKid


End file.
